Cashless controller system and board

ABSTRACT

A controller board and system for converting a cash-based game machine to a cashless, wireless system employing wireless network connectivity is disclosed. The controller board consists of a circuit board, one or more emulation circuits, a serial interface, one or more switches and a microcontroller. The controller system consists of the controller board with the serial interface connected to a display and a card reader, and a wireless communication interface for communicating with the accounts server. Said one or more emulation circuits emulate the signals of cash-based peripherals on the game machine, once the peripheral cables are reconnected from the peripheral into the emulation circuit. The user&#39;s account is identified through the card reader and the user&#39;s account is debited or credited as a result of losing or winning gameplay by the microcontroller. Changes to the account balance are encrypted and sent to a casino server by means of the wireless interface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to casino game machines andspecifically a system and board to convert cash-based game machines tooperate on a cashless basis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cash has long been a cause for inefficiency and lost income in thegaming industry, in particular with respect to slot and other gamingmachines. Counting and verifying all the cash and coins is troublesomefor casinos, let alone players who receive their winnings as cash from amachine. The costs of handling cash reduce a casino's profitability byincreasing operating costs significantly. The time required by a playerto insert cash into a machine also reduces the pull frequency of themachine. Many coins are normally needed within the slot machine aschange and for wins, which traditionally have been paid out directly bythe slot machine. Carrying a substantial amount of cash is a securityrisk for players, particularly in the case of a large win.

Casinos are switching to cashless systems which allow a player tomaintain an account, on a card for instance, which allows said player tomove from game machine to game machine, maintaining his or her own cardbalance at all times while playing, with winnings automatically added tothe balance and bets deducted from the balance. At the end of a playsession, the player may cash out the entire balance of winnings at onceor have it directly deposited into a bank account. The elimination ofcoins and tokens obviates the need for removing coins from the slotmachine, transporting them to the counting room, counting or weightingthem, wrapping or bagging the coins, transporting them to the vault andissuing them to the cashiers.

Cashless game machines have existed for some time. However, casinosoften have many legacy cash-based game machines that are operational,which they are forced to discard once they upgrade to cashless gamemachines, due to a shortage of space on the casino floor. This waste ofotherwise operational machines could be avoided if existing cash-basedgame machines could be converted to operate on a cashless basis.However, there are a number of barriers to an easy conversion of gamemachines to cashless basis.

Many slot machines have built-in peripherals for accepting cash such ascoin acceptors, bill acceptors and coin hoppers. These slot machinesalso have security measures within that disable the unit if theperipherals are not operational, by both reporting an error andpreventing the machine from entering game play. The security measuresattempt to detect all peripherals, such as cash acceptors, and determineif they are connected and working properly by requesting a signal of theperipheral that indicates its operational condition. Because of thesesecurity measures, among other complications, it has not been practicaland cost-effective in the past to upgrade a slot machine to work on acashless basis, and casinos are often forced to replace otherwisefunctional machines with new machines that are designed and manufacturedto allow play on a cashless basis.

Cash-based game machines are wired only to a power outlet which providespower to the machine for the game-playing experience and rarely is thereany network connection between the game machines. A cashless gamemachine requires some means of communicating with the server which holdsthe account data. Such a link would generally consist of CAT-5 cablingthroughout the casino forming a local area network. As wiring a largespace with CAT-5 cable is unsightly and expensive, a secure wirelessnetwork is the preferred means of communication with the account server.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0,313,636 discloses an automated datacollection having an endpoint that collects data regarding a gamingmachine, which endpoint then sends data back to a concentrator. Theconcentrator amalgamates signals to be sent to a remote collectionserver, wherein the data is pushed from the endpoint to the remotecollection server at predetermined intervals, permitting data to beamalgamated from the gaming machines to the server. However said patentapplication does not disclose how to upgrade existing gaming machinesfor the use of a cashless system.

Based on the above there is a need for a device that converts existingcash-based casino game machines to cashless game play, that employswireless connectivity with the accounts server to exchange encryptedaccount data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A controller board and system for converting a cash-based game machineto a cashless, wireless system employing wireless network connectivityis disclosed. The controller board consists of a circuit board, one ormore emulation circuits, a serial interface, one or more switches and amicrocontroller. The controller system consists of the controller boardwith the serial interface connected to a display and a card reader, anda wireless communication interface for communicating with the accountsserver. Said one or more emulation circuits emulate the signals ofcash-based peripherals on the game machine, once the peripheral cablesare reconnected from the peripheral into the emulation circuit. Theuser's account is identified through the card reader and the user'saccount is debited or credited as a result of losing or winning gameplayby the microcontroller. Changes to the account balance are encrypted andsent to a casino server by means of the wireless interface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will now be convenient to describe the invention with particularreference to one embodiment of the present invention. It will beappreciated that the figures relate to one embodiment of the presentinvention only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention.

FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of the cashless controller board,according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the cashless controller board, accordingto one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a photo of the cashless controller board, according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred and otherembodiments of the invention are shown. No embodiment described belowlimits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may coverprocesses or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimedinventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all thefeatures of any one apparatus or process described below or to featurescommon to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It ispossible that an apparatus or process described below is not anembodiment of any claimed invention. The applicants, inventors or ownersreserve all rights that they may have in any invention claimed in thisdocument, for example the right to claim such an invention in acontinuing application and do not intend to abandon, disclaim ordedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in thisdocument.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the cashless controller board 5 is shown within thegame machine 100. The cashless controller board 5 consists of a printedcircuit board 10, one or more emulation circuits, each for a cashacceptor, specifically according to the present embodiment, a coinhopper emulation circuit 20, a coin mechanism emulation circuit 30, abill acceptor emulation circuit 40. The cashless controller board 5 alsocomprises an interface such as a serial port interface 50 and cardreader interface 55, one or more switches such as a series of dualin-line package (DIP) switches 60 and a microcontroller 80. A cashlesscontroller system, also disclosed, comprises the cashless controllerboard in addition to a card scanner 160, which is connected to cardreader interface 55, and a display 170, which allow interaction with aplayer and is connected to the serial port interface 50, and a networkinterface, in this embodiment a wireless communication interface 70,which enables the cashless controller system to communicate with theaccounts server.

The coin hopper emulation circuit 20, the coin mechanism emulationcircuit 30, the bill acceptor emulation circuit 40, the serial portinterface 50, the card reader interface 55, the series of dual in-linepackage (DIP) switches 60, and the wireless communication interface 70are all connected through the printed circuit board 10 to themicrocontroller 80. The microcontroller 80 processes input signals from,and produces output signals to, each of the emulation circuits 20, 30,40, the serial port interface 50, the card reader interface 55, theswitches 60 and the wireless communication interface 70. One skilled inthe art would appreciate that the serial port interface is not limitedherein, and may consist of any one of many standards, such as RS-232,infrared or USB, among others. One skilled in the art would alsoappreciate that the one or more switches 60 may be embodied in adifferent means, such as through software or stored as data values inflash memory, for example.

The coin hopper emulation circuit cable 120 is connected to the coinhopper emulation circuit 20 by means of a coin hopper emulationinterface (not shown). The other end of the coin hopper emulationcircuit cable 120 is connected to the game controller 90. Similarly, thecoin mechanism emulation circuit cable 130 is connected to the coinmechanism emulation circuit 30 by means of a coin mechanism emulationinterface (not shown). The other end of the coin mechanism emulationcircuit cable 130 is connected to the game controller 90. The billacceptor emulation circuit cable 140 is connected to the bill acceptoremulation circuit 30 by means of the bill acceptor emulation interface(not shown). The other end of the bill acceptor emulation circuit cable140 is connected to the game controller 90. The card scanner interface55 is connected by means of the card scanner cable 150 to the cardscanner 160, which is mounted on the outside of the game machine 100.The serial port interface 50 is connected by means of the display cable155 to the display 170, which is also mounted on the outside of the gamemachine 100, and may consist of an LCD screen with a character- orgraphical-display capability. The wireless communication interface 70 isconnected to a wireless communication transmitter 110, located on theboard 10, which allows for the encrypted transfer of data to a casino'sserver.

With further reference to FIG. 1, and according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the microcontroller 80 receives all input signalssent into the cashless controller board 5 by the emulation circuits 20,30, 40, serial port interface 50, card reader interface 55, and wirelesscommunication interface 70, and send output signals that are sent out ofthe cashless controller board 5 through the serial port interface 50 andthe wireless communication interface 70. By the setting of the DIPswitches 60, the microcontroller 80 is informed how to respond to thevarious checks sent out by the game controller 90 into the emulationcircuits 20, 30, 40. The microcontroller 80 responds by means of theemulation circuit 20, 30, 40 to the game controller 90.

The hopper emulation circuit 20 simulates the presence of a coin hopper220 to the game controller 90. The hopper emulation circuit 20 isconnected to the game controller 90, which controls the gamefunctionality, by means of the coin hopper cable 120. The gamecontroller 90, present within a game machine 100 to control theoperation of said machine, requires a series of checks to be satisfied,including a check that a coin hopper 220 exists and is functional,before the game controller 90 permits the game to be played. In anunmodified cash-based game machine, the game controller 90 would send asignal to the coin hopper 220 in order to engage in these checks, andthe coin hopper 220 would send a corresponding signal to the gamecontroller 90 that it exists and is operational. In an unmodifiedcash-based game machine, the game controller 90 would then be satisfiedthat the coin hopper 220 is operational, and given that the othersystems were similarly operational, the game controller 90 would permitthe game to be played. In the converted cashless game machine, once thecashless controller board 5 is within the game machine 100, the hoppercable 120 that once connected the game to the coin hopper 220 is nowrewired to connect the controller board 5 with the game machine 100. Thegame machine 100 then sends a request to the microcontroller 80 by meansof the coin hopper cable 120, which responds with a signal that the coinhopper 220 exists and is operational, and so satisfies the gamecontroller. The game controller 90, satisfied that the coin hopper 220is operational, enters game play mode and permits the game to be played.

The coin mechanism emulation circuit 30 is connected to the gamecontroller 90 by means of the coin mechanism cable 130. The coinmechanism emulation circuit 30 also sends the same signal that the coinmechanism 230 of an unmodified cash-based game machine would otherwisehave sent to the game controller 90. The microcontroller 80, through thecoin mechanism emulation circuit 30, sends to the game controller 90 thecorrect signature that an existing and operational coin mechanism 230would have sent to the game controller 90 in the case of a cash-basedgame machine, effectively satisfying the game controller that anexisting and operational coin mechanism 230 is present. The gamecontroller 90, once satisfied that its systems are in order, entersplayer mode, which allows a player to play the game.

Similarly, the bill acceptor emulation circuit 40 simulates the presenceof an operational bill acceptor 240, even though in the convertedcashless game machine 100 the bill acceptor 240 is no longer connectedto the game controller. The bill acceptor emulation circuit 40 isconnected to the game controller 90 by means of the bill acceptor cable140. The game controller 90 sends a request to the bill acceptoremulation circuit 40, by means of the bill acceptor cable 140. Themicrocontroller 80 sends a signal back to the game controller 90 throughthe bill acceptor emulation circuit 40 indicating that the bill acceptor240 is operational, satisfying the game controller 90 that itsperipherals are operational, which then enters game play.

The microcontroller 80 may also send additional signals through theemulator circuits 20, 30, 40 depending on the requirements for aparticular model of game machine. For example, after a game has beenplayed the microcontroller 80 may send a signal to the game controller90 that a new coin has been received and therefore the game controllernow permits the game machine 100 to be played once again. Themicrocontroller 80 also receives information about the result of thegame played from the game controller 90, so that the microcontroller 80knows to credit or debit the player's account before the next play. Thisaccount information is then transmitted in encrypted format through thewireless communication interface 70 to the accounts server.

The card scanner interface 55 is connected to the card scanner 160 bymeans of the card scanner cable 150. The serial port interface 50 isconnected to the display 170 by means of the display cable 155. The cardscanner 160 mounted on the outside of the game machine 100, whereby theplayer may scan a card (not shown) containing the player information andinform the game machine 100 that a unique player is now playing at thegame machine 100, and that they unique player's account should be usedfor that game-playing session. The player may also see his or herbalance as well as promotional materials, for instance, on the display170. When the cashless controller board 5 later connects with theaccount server (not shown) by means of the wireless communicationinterface 70, the account of the player is then debited by the amount ofeach bet, and credited with any winnings.

A series of dual in-line package (DIP) switches 60 is present on theboard 10, which DIP switches 60 may be switched by a technicianinstalling the cashless controller board 5 to correspond with aparticular model of game machine 100. A certain setting of the DIPswitches 60 indicates to the microcontroller 80 the necessary signal tobe sent, in response to a request from the game controller, through thecoin hopper emulation circuit 20, the coin mechanism emulation circuit30 and the bill acceptor emulation circuit 40 in order to satisfy thegame controller that the coin hopper 220, coin mechanism 230 and billacceptor 240 exist and are in an operational state. The DIP switches 60are typically set only once, at the time of installation into the gamemachine, and then no longer require any maintenance. The switch settingis based on the model of game machine 100 that the cashless controllerboard 5 is installed into. Should the cashless controller board 5 beused again in a different model of game machine, the DIP switches 60 maybe reset for the new game machine, so the microcontroller 80 is informedof the model of the game machine, and is able to instruct the emulationcircuitry to satisfy the game controller 90.

The wireless communication interface 70 communicates the player accountbalances and other game machine activity to the server through awireless communication transmitter 110, such as a board-mounted XBee™802.15.4 RF module, which permits a relatively fast data transmissionrate and 128-bit encryption. Such a wireless communication link with theserver permits facilitated installation that does not require new wiringto be installed in the casino. The cashless controller board 5 may beinstalled in the game machine 100 wherever the game machine 100 islocated on the casino floor, and the signal is wirelessly transmitted tothe server. The wireless transmitter 110 is capable of encrypting thesignal with 128-bit or higher security, in order to ensure dataintegrity and security with regards to the transferred data.

With reference to FIG. 3, a photo of the assembled cashless controllerboard 5 is shown. In this embodiment, the board 5 comprises a printedcircuit board 10, serial interface 50, card scanner interface 55, DIPswitches 60, wireless communication interface 70 with a microprocessor80 below it, connected to the printed circuit board 10. The photo alsoshows an Ethernet connection 300, which is able to function as analternative for the wireless communication interface 70, which is wiredonto the printed circuit board 10. At the edge of the printed circuitboard 10 a coin hopper emulation interface 320, a coin mechanismemulation interface 330 and a bill acceptor emulation interface 340 areall shown. It is into these interfaces that the coin hopper emulationcircuit cable 120, a coin mechanism emulation circuit cable 130 and abill acceptor emulation circuit cable 140.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tothe mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing description and associated drawings.Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe specific embodiment disclosed, and that modifications andembodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A system for converting a game machine having one or more cashacceptors to cashless game play, comprising: a) a board assemblycomprising i) a printed circuit board; ii) a microcontroller; iii) anetwork adapter adapted to communicate with a network; iv) a cardscanner interface; and v) one or more emulation circuits adapted toemulate signals from the one or more cash acceptors; and b) a cardscanner electronically connected to said card scanner interface whereinsaid board assembly and said card scanner are connected to the gamemachine, and said card scanner interface is adapted to communicate withsaid card scanner.
 2. The system of claim 1, said circuit board furthercomprising one or more switching means which are adapted to beingswitched in a configuration, which configuration is related to aspecific model of game machine.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein saidswitching means is a dual in-line package switch.
 4. The system of claim1, wherein said one or more cash acceptors further comprise a coinhopper, a coin mechanism and a bill acceptor, and said one or moreemulation circuits further comprise a coin hopper emulation circuit thatis adapted to emulate signals sent and received by a coin hopper, a coinmechanism emulation circuit that is adapted to emulate signals sent andreceived by a coin mechanism, and a bill acceptor emulation circuit thatis adapted to emulate signals sent and received by a bill acceptor. 5.The system of claim 1, said circuit board further comprising a serialport adapted to transmitting a signal to a display screen of the gamemachine.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said network interfaceperforms wirelessly.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said wirelesscommunication interface uses an 802.11 wireless standard.
 8. A boardassembly for converting a game machine to cashless game play,comprising: i) A printed circuit board; ii) a microcontroller; iii) anetwork adapter adapted to communicate with a network; iv) one or moreemulation circuits adapted to emulate signals from the one or more cashacceptors; and v) a card scanner interface which is adapted tocommunicate with a card scanner, wherein said microcontroller, saidnetwork adapter, said one or more emulation circuits, and said cardscanner are all connected to said printer circuit board.
 9. The systemof claim 8, said circuit board further comprising one or more switchingmeans which are adapted to being switched in a configuration, whichconfiguration is related to a specific model of game machine.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein said switching means is a dual in-linepackage switch.
 11. The system of claim 8, said circuit board furthercomprising a serial port adapted to transmit a display signal.
 12. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein said one or more cash acceptors furthercomprise a coin hopper, a coin mechanism and a bill acceptor, and saidone or more emulation circuits further comprise a coin hopper emulationcircuit that is adapted to emulate signals sent and received by a coinhopper, a coin mechanism emulation circuit that is adapted to emulatesignals sent and received by a coin mechanism, and a bill acceptoremulation circuit that is adapted to emulate signals sent and receivedby a bill acceptor.
 13. The system of claim 8, wherein said networkinterface performs wirelessly.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein saidwireless communication interface uses an 802.11 wireless standard.